An unofficial straw poll Saturday among attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas for who should be picked as the 2024 Republican nominee was easily claimed by President Donald Trump with a sweeping majority.
Jim McLaughlin, a pollster for Trump who conducted the straw poll, announced the results onstage just hours before the former president was expected to take the stage, UPI reports.
“Yep, President Trump increases his job approval to an astronomical 99% in CPAC Straw Poll and blows away the potential 2024 field with 69% of the vote, up from 59% from February CPAC,” McLaughlin said via social media.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not at CPAC but is widely considered to be a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential election. Vendors were even seen selling merchandise bearing the governor’s name at the conference, the Dallas Morning News reported.
DeSantis claimed 24 percent of the total compared to Trump’s 69 percent in the straw poll but 65 percent of attendees said they would vote for DeSantis if the former president was not offered as a choice.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC held at the Hilton Anatole on August 06, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Sen. Ted Cruz received just two percent of the vote in the straw poll while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott did not register above zero, the UPI report outlined.
The straw poll is not a scientific survey, with a pool limited to CPAC attendees, and is not representative of the broader GOP electorate.